Shut your eyes… well, I’ll tell you when actually … and point straight ahead in the direction you think is north. (If you have an actual compass, keep it handy but don’t look at it yet. A town map would get it done.) Now, keeping your eyes closed, spin around three times and try to be pointing north again when you’re done. Ready? Go!

OK, check your compass or map. How close were you to being north when you were done?

Here, then, are a few more things to reflect on:

• What landmarks did you use to decide which way north was? How accurate were they?
• When’s a time you’ve felt like you’d been spinning for so long that you didn’t know which way was up (or north, for that matter)?
• What do you use as your “compass” when you have to make a tough decision?

God has given us a number of compasses to help us figure out what direction we should take, such as the guidance of the Holy Spirit and the advice of other mature Christians we trust. But sometimes we can mistake our own thoughts or feelings what the Spirit’s really trying to say to us — we’ve certainly seen evidence of that earlier this week. And even with the best of intentions, other Christians can give us advice that isn’t what God wants for us.

We have a compass that always points to God and can give us the guidance we need—the Bible. But many of us don’t know how to use that compass to its best effect. Sometimes we don’t believe it’s really pointing north and don’t follow it. Even more often, we don’t pull it out to find out where God is trying to point us.

And sometimes, we have a hard time reading that compass. But when we do use, understand, and follow God’s Word, God changes us and takes us where he really wants us. So let’s see how we can make God’s Word more a part of our lives, and why it’s important for us to do it.

You might already do something like this on your own, but try it now and see what happens: Find Joshua 1:1-9 in your Bibles, and read the passage quietly to yourself. Don’t move on until you’ve read the whole passage first. Then, answer these questions:

• What’s the context of this passage? In other words: What’s happening here? When and where is this taking place? What are the people in the passage thinking and feeling at this moment?
• What words or phrases stand out to you here?
• What’s the main thing God wanted the people in this passage to know?
• What’s God saying to you through this passage? What’s one way can you take that and put it into practice?

Here’s a couple more broader questions:

• Look again at verses 8-9. What’s the difference between meditating on God’s Word and just reading it?
• When (or how) has spending time in God’s Word helped you have strength or success you wouldn’t have had otherwise? Talk about it.

OK, here’s one more activity: Take out your wallet, purse or cell phone, and put it in front of you. What’s so important about carrying this thing with you everywhere you go? What are some different ways you use it?

We just looked at a passage in Scripture where God commands us to meditate upon his Word day and night. So let’s take that idea a step further: What do you think would happen if your Bible was as “joined to your hip” as the item you have in front of you? How would giving God’s Word time and priority in your life change how you live? Be specific.

With that, I want you to try an experiment this week. Let’s make this idea more than just a nice activity. Try actually taking your Bible everywhere you take your wallet, purse or cell phone this week. Yes, everywhere.

It’s likely you’ll get some interesting looks from people; you’ll almost certainly get a few questions. But who knows? You just might get the opportunity to share your faith with someone whose curiosity you’ve piqued. And as an added bonus, whenever you have the urge to read your Bible, it’ll be right there. And because it is right there, you’ll probably have that urge more often than you would have. So take a chance this week, and give God an extra opportunity to use you and speak through his Word. OK?